42 THE HYBRID BOUEBON ROSE. 



Pruning. 



AH these roses will bear pruning more closely 

 than those of the preceding family. If an early 

 crop of flowers is required, the trees may be 

 pruned the first week in November, removing all 

 the small branches and their spurs, which have 

 produced bloom, and then shortening the shoots 

 to within five or six buds of the base of each. 

 These shoots should be left at regular distances, 

 so that a well-fm-nished and regular-shaped tree 

 is formed. The method of summer-pruning, as 

 recommended for the preceding group, may also 

 be practised. To have a succession of flowers, it 

 is only necessary to leave some trees unpruned 

 till the end of April, and then prune as above : 

 these will give their flowers from ten days to a 

 fortnight later than those pruned early in autumn. 

 The medium season for pruning them, and all the 

 summer roses, is towards the end of February : 

 they will then bloom at their usual period. In 

 pruning, care must be taken to cut just above the 

 bud in those shoots left for blooming : the wound 

 will then soon heal over. To be precise, do not 

 leave more than one-eighth of an inch above the 

 bud. 



